After a massive shoot out, dead bodies strewn about and a blood bath to retrieve Jia, we finally got him back. After gutting Kaoru's building, along with his employees we found out that Jia was on the top floor. Once we went upstairs, clearing the way and worried, we found Jia, locked in an office, wounded, but alive. We took him out and disappeared into the night as always. After Jun checked on him, the diagnosis was Jia was in a lot of pain. He had received a massive blow to the head which screwed with his state of consciousness. Also he had been close to dying by being strangled, so much so that he had blacked out and broke blood capillaries in his eyes. He only lived by a matter of seconds. The wounds around his neck was evidence they tried, but backed out last second, sparing Jia for some unknown reason. We had to wait until Jia was actually well enough before we called in the New York heads. The Itto Ketsuen, the Ryuujin no Chi and the Yami were all called in about a week later. Beforehand, Jia was so groggy and unable to actually speak for long periods of time, so much so that Jun was ready to take him to the hospital against his will. Jia was stubborn though and insisted he was fine. Eventually he was fine enough and the New York syndicates were due within a few hours. Jo and I were assigned to pick them up that day and I sat in the car with him as he leaned back in the driver's seat, humming to himself as he smoked. I noticed his hair was down for now, the black elastic band around his wrist as he shook his head side to side every now and then as if moving along to music only he could hear.

"You're in a good mood."

He looked over at me as he said,

"I have reason to be."

"Sozaburo."

"Yup."

"Now is not the time to get excited. You still have a job to do."

"I know. My job is first and foremost. I'm just happy to even see him."

I nodded as he rolled down the window slightly and threw his cigarette out as he said,

"What time is the flight suppost to be here?"

"Around nine."

He nodded as he checked his watch and said,

"It's eight forty-five. Think we should start going in?"

I nodded as we both got out of the car, slamming the doors shut as Jo set the alarm on the car and we began to go inside the airport. Our job for this evening was to just pick up the syndicate oyabuns and bring them back to Jia's place. Everyone else would be required to take a cab and await further instruction. I imagined this would be a problem for Kotei who never did anything without Ren holding his hand. Sozaburo could fair enough on his own without Karasu so that wouldn't be a problem and then it was Tsubasa. There would be enough room if Kotei didn't need to drag Ren with him.

We got to the arrival gate as we waited, Jo tying his hair back up as I said,

"Don't you think it's time for a trim?"

"I would say the same about you."

I looked at my own black hair falling well past my shoulders as he then smiled slightly, reminding me of Aoki as he snapped the band in it's secure place and then put his hands down. We waited for another fifteen minutes before the flight was announced that it just started letting the passengers off. It was another ten minutes before the heads of the New York syndicates showed up. Their guards not too far behind them. We shook hands as we explained our orders to them. Sozaburo then said,

"Is Jia all right?"

"He went through some trouble. But he's well enough now." I said,

"We'll meet up later Sozaburo." Said Karasu.

He went to claim his luggage as he buttoned the front of his black coat and the guards of the Itto Ketsuen followed him after hesitating. They only went after Sozaburo dismissed them. Tsubasa dismissed his own guards sending them to their hotel as Kotei looked at us. He wore his black suit, collar undone as always as he wore gray tinted sunglasses. He looked at Ren through yellow dyed hair as he said,

"Do you have to go?"

"Yes Botchan. You can do this on your own."

The little emperor nodded, sighing slightly as Ren bowed his head to us and we returned the gesture as Ren went with the rest of the Ryuujin no Chi guards. Jo walked in front of the oyabuns, I walked behind them, leading them towards the car in the garage outside. I checked around, making sure we had snuck them into Hong Kong without Kaoru knowing as we walked. Once outside, Jo opened the door for the three as they got in the back and I once again sat in the passenger side. Jo shut the door behind him, starting up the car as he put his seat belt on and then pulled out. Within a half hour, forty-five minutes, we reached Jia's apartment. We escorted the oyabuns upstairs and once we got to the door, I knocked as Jun answered. He had been on call since Jo was busy and Jia was not entirely well. Kotei, Sozaburo and Tsubasa walked inside after Jo as I followed, closing the door as everyone took off their shoes and walked to Jia's bedroom. I stood by the door way as Toki laid on the sofa, watching TV as he smoked. Jo got out of the way, closing the door slightly as Jun and I stood by the doorway, not listening in, but being of use. Jun then gestured me to follow him as we went to the kitchen.

"This place has no food."

"Neither one eats what do you expect."

"There's just bottles and bottle of sake and booze...I swear Toki's thisclose to being an alcoholic."

"And Jia?"

"Jia is just too thin. When I checked him before he was so thin it was almost sickening."

I shrugged as I said,

"Jia does eat more then Toki though."

"I know. I almost force fed Toki the other day since it had been three days since I saw him put something to his mouth that wasn't in a glass or a cigarette."

Jun opened the refrigerator as he took out some take out containers and opened the cupboards to take out a plate. He set it down beside the containers as I said,

"Aren't you right at home."

"I've been here everyday for the past few days, I know where everything is. Except the food. I had to go buy that myself."

I nodded as I took a glass out and said,

"Did you at least buy something else to drink?"

"Yeah. More tea. It's what Jia drinks if Toki's not around."

"You make it seem like he's not allowed to drink anything else."

"Almost."

I shook my head slightly as Jun went on preparing something for Jia to eat once everyone left. He went into his pockets as he took out a bottle of aspirin and set it on the counter. I looked at it as I said,

"What's that for?"

"Some aches Jia's getting. I wish I could get something stronger, but you know."

I nodded as he then sighed and called out Toki's name.

"Toki!"

"What?"

"Come here."

"For what?"

"Will you just come here!"

"Fuck you!"

"I'm asking you nicely you piece of shit!"

It was quiet for a moment as Toki appeared at the kitchen doorway and said,

"What you want?"

"Here. Eat something."

"Yo man, you playin Li's nursemaid not mine."

"I might as well be playing yours as well. Now eat something."

"Fuck off man. I'm tired."

"Tired from what? Laying on your back all fucking day?"

Toki thought for a moment as I sat on the counter next to Jun as I picked up the plate Jun had prepared for Toki as I handed it to him. He looked at me as he said,

"I'll eat if you feed me."

"You're not five. You have your own motor skills."

Jun sighed in an annoyed matter as he said,

"Humor him. I have to see if Jia's ready to eat."

"I can't believe you actually want me to feed him." I said.

"I'm desperate. Last thing I need is him collapsing from fatigue on the job."

Jun left the kitchen as I shook my head and picked up the chopsticks and began to pick at the food. Toki stood in front of me, putting his hand on each side of me as he leaned forward. He opened his mouth slightly as I gave him some of the rice on the chopsticks. He chewed it thoughtfully as he then swallowed as he said,

"I'd eat more often if you fed me."

I began to pick up more food as I said,

"It's fucked up you're doing this while Jia is in the other room."

"He's fine."

I fed him again as he smirked as if enjoying the process.

"I never saw you this happy to eat before."

"It's not the food is the company."

"I'm not even eating."

"I jus like being this close to you."

I rolled my eyes as I picked up a piece of chicken and brought to it his mouth as he said,

"Who's here?"

"You didn't see?"

"Nah. I was watchin TV."

"Tsubasa, Kotei and Sozaburo."

"The ningyo, the little emperor and Jo's play thing."

"Must you nickname everyone?"

"I aint nickname the ningyo. That was Aoki."

He took the piece of chicken as I said,

"Are you going to work tonight?"

"Yeah...might as well. 'Sides, Li's gonna have very own little toy, I gotta be occupied."

I nodded as I fed him some vegetables. He then said,

"Ugh what is this shit?"

"I don't know. Jun set it out. Ask him."

"He's tryin to kill me."

"By feeding you. Yes, I'm sure that's his intent."

Just then Jun came back in as he said,

"Sozaburo and Kotei are leaving."

"And then ningyo?" Asked Toki.

"He's staying for a while longer."

"I should go then." I said.

"Don't have to. Jo's taking them back to their hotels."

"Ah, we aint gonna see Baby for a few hours."

He smirked slightly as Jun rolled his eyes and picked up the plate he fixed for Jia as he said,

"You eating?"

"Yeah man I'm eatin! Get off my shit!"

Jun flipped him off he went to tend to Jia. Toki then turned his attention back to me as I said,

"We'll be called in soon."

"Prolly."

He opened his mouth slightly as he took more of the food in. I fed him until the plate was half empty. By then, he shook his head, refusing anymore as he said,

"I'm full as hell."

"You only finished half."

"Thas more then enough."

I began to eat the rest as he went to the refrigerator and took out a bottle of some kind of liquor and set it down as he looked for a glass.

"You should really drink something else."

He shrugged as he got a glass and said,

"Should but won't."

I continued eating, glad to get something in my stomach before work as Toki then came over to me, sipping something from his glass as he watched me. I looked up at him, seeing him in his jeans and a loose baggy white shirt. His hair was tucked away under a bandanna, his blonde bangs sticking out, framing his face as he held the glass near his mouth.

"What?"

"Nothin. I tol you I jus like lookin at you."

"You like doing more then looking at me."

"Yeah..."

He smirked coming closer to me as I licked my lips from the sauce as I looked up and felt his mouth on mine. I blinked a for a second as he then backed away and licked his lips. I looked at him as if saying what was that for. But he just smirked and went to finished the rest of his drink. Once the glass was drained, he left the kitchen as he said he was going to get dressed.

Jia gave us our final orders being to find the Yuuki twins and see what they found out these past few days. Since the whole situation with Jia, we had momentarily lost contact with the Yuuki twins and they probably had new information. As Jun and I left with Toki to get to work, my phone rang. I answered it, putting the ear piece in my ear as I said,

"Hai."

"Mikkie, I have some news." Said Tai.

"What?"

"The Yuuki twins paid me a visit."

"Jia was just talking about them."

"Jia and I are on the same level. So was I when they walked in."

"What's new?"

"The twins know where Lotus is kept."

"Just the information Jia needed."

"Well, they're here. They say it's a little difficult to navigate through so they'll escort you and Jun."

"Where's everyone else?"

"Looking for Kaoru himself. The Yuuki twins can't find him."

"Tai, do you really think we can trust those two?"

"Not really. But Jia spared them. And there's logic behind Jia's rather insane looking acts...for the most part."

I nodded as I said,

"All right. We'll be there soon. You might want to send someone to Jia's place. Tsubasa is here with him."

"Where are the others?"

"Jo took them back to their hotel already."

"I'll send one of the lower heads."

"Hai. I'll call you when I get there."

I hung up as I told Jun and Toki what Tai had told me. We then went on our way back to headquarters. As the cab pulled up in front of the building, I called Tai and let him know we were here. We got out of the cab, Toki paying the fare after a minor argument with Jun and it was only settled after I suggested I would pay. Once we got inside, Tai was downstairs with the Yuuki twins, both looking like parallel mirrors of each other, both wearing black suits, white shirts underneath one with a black tie one with a white tie. I forgot who was who for a moment until Yasuhiro spoke.

"We found out Takamasa is keeping his woman on the New Territories."

"Aren't those islands?" Asked Jun.

"Yes." Said the twins.

Yasuhiro then continued.

"His woman is kept there. His child too. Kaoru comes across by ferry to Kowloon, his base of operations."

Toshihiro then continued.

"Right now, Kaoru is in Kowloon. So it's the perfect chance to seize any opportunity you have planned."

Tai looked at us as Toki said,

"Aite then. Let's go."

The Yuuki twins led us to and through the New Territories as we reached the residential areas. Toshihiro hailed a cab for us as he said,

"I'll give the address to the driver. From there, you'll go to the fifth floor, door one twenty-six."

"You're not coming?" Asked Jun.

"We will. We'll be close by. We wouldn't want to do anything suspicious."

Jun nodded as Yasuhiro then said,

"There's three guards in the lobby. Two at the hallway elevator and one at Lotus's door. Be careful. We'll be behind you backing you."

The cab door was closed and soon we were on our way. After a quick trip, we ended up in front of an apartment building. I paid the fare, getting out first as we saw the three guards the twins had warned us about. We walked past the building after taking a quick glance inside as Toki told us to go ahead in the front, he would go through the back. Jun and I entered, my hand on my gun, my finger on the trigger as we went towards the lobby's front desk. It was a beautiful apartment building, remind me of a hotel almost. The three guards that worked for Kaoru sat unnoticed as we walked through, one of them looking at us for a moment then going back to his conversation. As we turned a corner, Jun pressed the elevator doors and we went inside as they opened. We pressed the button for the fifth floor and waited as Jun said,

"Too easy."

"You suspicious?"

"Are you?"

"Not really. I would have felt something bad if the Yuuki Twins set us up."

Jun nodded, knowing my sixth sense for these situations was hardly ever wrong. Once we reached the fifth floor, the doors opened as the guard there got up from his chair as he saw us. He recognized us as he went to draw his gun but Jun grabbed his arm and I took out my own gun, turning my head slightly as I shot him. His blood and brains splattered over the side of the elevator walls and the panel and on some of my hands. Jun stepped out as he said,

"Better not send that down yet."

I nodded as we left the guards feet hanging out of the elevator, not allowing the doors to close. We began to walk up the hallway, stopping when we saw the second guard. Before we even got to him, he turned to us, noticing us as he went to shout a warning for Lotus when a hand was clapped over his mouth. Toki appeared behind him, gun in hand as Toshihiro went around the front and removed the gun from the guard's possession. Toki then gestured for Jun and I to go ahead with the other twin as he went around to the stairwell to get rid of the guard. Yasuhiro and I stood in front of the door as Toshihiro and Jun leaned on the sides of the door as I gave a soft knock. We waited for a moment as Lotus then appeared. Her eyes widened as she tried to close the door again but Yasuhiro and I pushed against it and she stumbled back as she looked at us in fear. She then turned and ran to the back bedroom as she slammed the door, locking it as Jun sighed and said,

"Did Jia say to kill her?"

I shook my head as Toshihiro then said,

"What is the plan by the way if we're not here to kill her?"

"Here to take the kid." Said Jun.

Toki came inside as he said,

"Where's the kid?"

"Lotus locked herself in the bedroom."

We could hear the baby crying as Lotus made the attempt to call Kaoru in. Toki sighed as he said,

"Man, fuck this. Watch out."

He slammed against the door, hearing a slightly crack as he then kicked it open the rest of the way. He took out his nine as Lotus dropped the phone and went over to the crib as she picked up her baby. Yasuhiro hung up the phone as she began to plead to us to not kill her or her baby. Jun tried to relax her, as he told her to put the baby down in the crib. She wouldn't at first, but Jun kept saying to put the baby down otherwise, she'd risk hurting it. She started to cry as she set the baby down, patting it's head as she looked at it. Toki then yanked her away from the crib, slamming her against the wall hard enough to give her a knock to the head. As she slid down to the floor, Yasuhiro looked at him and said,

"Effective."

Toki smirked as Jun, who was standing by the crib looked down at the child and said,

"Okay well....now what?"

"Pick it up." I said.

"I don't know how to carry a kid."

"What kinda doctor are you?" Asked Toki.

"I never dealt with children."

Toki sighed, putting his gun back in place as he said,

"Where's Aoki when you need him."

He reached in, grabbing the blankets around the crying child and making something that looked like a bag and hoisted the child back up from the crib. He then said,

"Fuckin kid is like a bowlin ball."

"Be careful. Maybe you should let me carry it."

"You jus said you didn't know how."

"I know a sight better then to carry the kid like luggage!"

Toki sighed as he gave the kid to Jun. Jun took it in his arms, being careful as Toshihiro said,

"What now?"

"Now we leave." I said.

Soon we were out of there.

Since we were not sure of what to do with the child until further notice, we returned to Jia's apartment. The Yuuki twins went on their way as Jun and I came in with Toki. I saw Jia laying in bed still, having a cigarette as he saw Jun holding the child.

"How'd it go?"

"Simple enough."

Toki laid down beside Jia as I said,

"What should we do with the child?"

Jia sighed as he put out his cigarette and said,

"Let me see it."

Jun brought the baby over who had fallen asleep on the way as Jia looked at it and said,

"It's ugly."

Toki laughed as he said,

"Aint it?"

"It's an ugly child. Maybe I should have it killed just to put it out of it's misery."

Toki laughed as Jun shook his head, hiding a laugh as Toki looked at Jia and said,

"What we gonna do with the kid?"

"I actually haven't thought that far ahead. None of us are really ready to take care of a child. Unless you count Estuya...but he's in New York."

"What about Baby? He's takin care of Ichiro's niece." Said Toki.

"It's different she's a slightly more grown child." Said Jia.

"Sozaburo has more experience with children. You could just ask him." I said.

Jia nodded, slouching down in his bed further as he said,

"I didn't really ask Sozaburo here to take care of a child. But it does make more sense."

Jia groaned slightly as he turned to get comfortable. Jun then turned to me and handed me the child so suddenly I was unprepared for it as I said,

"Jun!"

"I need to tend to Jia."

I looked at my oyabun as Jia sighed and said,

"Find Jo or Sozaburo. Ask Sozaburo to please do this for me."

I nodded as I held the kid away from me and said,

"I don't know how to..."

Toki laughed slightly as he said,

"Ghosto can handle a gun, people that outweigh him by fifty or more pounds, getting a face full of blood but when it comes to a kid..."

Jia smiled slightly as I glared at Toki and said,

"Shut up."

I then turned and left. I tried to balance the kid on my shoulder with one arm as I tried to get my cellphone with the other, finding both were hard to do. I wish I knew how women were able to balance a child with one arm. I shouldn't have been that hard. I moved the child slightly to get my ear piece in as I called Jo and asked him where he was.

"Uh..."

"Are you with Sozaburo?"

"Yeah..."

"Jo, you know I don't care."

"I know. Is something wrong?"

"I need to speak to Sozaburo. Tell me what room he's in."

Within minutes I was at his hotel room, pawning the child on him as I told him what Jia had asked me and then bowed my head and quickly left. I was never more glad to be rid of that child. My few minutes with it was enough to make me glad I never had any of my own, seeing why Aoki was probably a horrible father and realizing I left blood stains all over the blankets around the child from shooting the guard in the elevator. All the same I was glad to be rid of it.

Naturally, it didn't take too long for Kaoru to find out that his child was kidnapped. And from there, it was an all out war. None of us could step out into the streets without getting into a fight. Kaoru himself was still nowhere to be seen. Each time any lower head, or the top heads stepped out, we were caught in some kind of fight. Jia's properties became a war zone, every street corner a place of violence. Hong Kong was over runned by war and blood stained every street corner. Kaoru wanted his child back. Jia began to rise again, mostly he had been giving orders over the phone or in his bedroom or by word of mouth, but he was slowly getting ready to get up and go back to work. Tai recommended that Jia stay put, he didn't want Kaoru doing anything more drastic then he had already. We had the feeling that his first attempt to wound Jia was just a practice run. Next time could be the real thing. Of course, Jia didn't really want to. But with all of us, even Toki pressing him to stay put, he didn't have much of a choice. Sozaburo had no problem tending to the child at hand. He stopped in once in a while to see how the situation was improving...or actually I should say was getting worse. Kaoru was furious and showing it to just about everyone and everything among his path. Jia held his ground however and he would teach why many don't survive once crossing Jia.